Tension mounts as State goes all out to thwart ‘Chalo Assembly’ march

Security was tightened in the vicinity of the Assembly a day ahead of the ‘Chalo Assembly’ march planned by Telangana protagonists. Photo: Mohammed Yousuf

The Hindu

APSP police personnel on the alert near the State Legislative Assembly building. Photo: Mohammed Yousuf

NAGARA GOPAL

A student who tried to defy the prohibitory orders at the Osmania University campus as part of the 'Chalo Assembly' call given by the pro-Telangana groups given a rough treatment by the policemen in Hyderabad on Thursday. Photo: Nagara Gopal

Battle lines have been drawn between the protagonists of Telangana and the police as the Telangana Joint Action Committee has decided to go ahead with its ‘Chalo Assembly’ programme on Friday and the State government equally determined to thwart it.

The TJAC leaders alleged that the government has been using all repressive measures to prevent them from taking “the aspirations of Telangana people to the notice of the elected representatives” in a peaceful manner. TJAC chairman M. Kodandaram termed the denial of permission even to a protest at Indira Park “undemocratic” and asserted that they would organise the programme “come what may.”

Prof. Kodandaram and others alleged that the government was conspiring to incite violence by infiltrating anti-social elements from Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra regions into the city to turn Chalo Assembly programme into a violent affair. “As stated earlier our call is not to lay siege to the Assembly but take a peaceful procession to impress upon explain the law-makers the aspirations of Telangana people,” Prof. Kodandaram reiterated on Thursday. Legislators belonging to the TRS, the CPI and the BJP urged the Governor and the DGP, separately, to allow Chalo Assembly and stop “unlawful bindover” of people, particularly youth, including women, across the Telangana region.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy is understood to have directed the Director-General of Police at a high-level review meeting on Thursday not to use even rubber bullets in their efforts to prevent Chalo Assembly and observe utmost restraint in maintaining law and order.

The Telangana Employees’ JAC has made one final appeal to the government to allow Chalo Assembly or else some of their member bodies engaged in emergency services such as RTC, GHMC and Water Supply would go on flash strike if there was no change in “the oppressive attitude” of the government by Friday morning.

Slideshow

Traffic got disrupted and main thoroughfares turned into canals due to a sudden unseasonal downpour in Hyderabad on Monday afternoon. The Hindu lensman Mohammed Yousuf captures the travails of commuters.